What Your Gums Mean for Your Health

There is an old joke about the guy who went to his dentist who told him he had good news and bad news.

The good news is your teeth are great, the bad news is your gums have to go.

Periodontal disease (disease of the gums) causes the tissue surrounding your teeth to recede, cause little pockets and eventually tooth damage and loss.

But periodontal disease doesn’t just stay in the mouth. It seems to spread more pathogens throughout the body causing other diseases.

An unbalanced microbiome in the mouth can create a weakening immune system in the oral cavity which means unhealthy bacteria start to take over and spread all over.

The good news is two new probiotics have been discovered which can help your gum health and restore balance to your mouth’s microbiome.

These two probiotics can reduce plaque buildup, gingivitis, bleeding gums, and receding gums.

The bad news is if you are over 30, you have a one in two chance of having periodontal disease. The worse news is the risk goes up to 70% for everyone over 65.

The result of your sick mouth can be heart problems, kidney disease, lung problems, Alzheimer’s and bone problems. And as you might expect, because the mouth is the direct pathway to the digestive system, there is the potential for intestinal disease.

Unhealthy gums and teeth can lead to disorders in virtually every part of the body. That’s why the oral microbiome is starting to finally get some much-needed attention.

When healthy, the good bacteria in your mouth protects the delicate tissue in your mouth as well as the surface of your teeth.

What is surprising — your teeth are coated in many microorganisms. Some are helping and others attacking your health.

Many factors can affect your mouth’s health. Drugs, lifestyle, disease, diet as well as oral hygiene can all affect this delicate balance.

Microbial imbalance, also known as dysbiosis, can cause disease-causing organisms to flourish. When this happens, a vicious cycle begins which starts to affect other parts of the body.

Here are the two strains of probiotics that seem to stop this dangerous downward trend: